Chapter 10

"It has come to my attention that some of our brothers and sisters have lost their faith in God. That the no longer love us; that they want to abandon us… So when I call out your name, please stand…" Cyrus began reading off names as he stood at the front of the chapel.

Reid stood at the back, behind everyone, watching the door for when the guards would bring in Scarlett. The physical need to see her was so real that he could feel his body tremble with nerves.

He saw two of the armed guards shove her into the room and stand back to the doors.

Spencer tamped down on the rage that boiled in his blood as he noted her injures. Her shirt was stained with blood. Bruises ran the entire length of her left cheekbone up to her temple. He felt himself moving towards her as his legs shook underneath him.

Scarlett felt Reid move to her side as she observed what Cyrus was doing.

"God, he looks pissed," she whispered, turning to meet Spencer's eyes.

That sentiment was light compared to the level of rage that she now saw brewing in his hazel gaze. He was livid.

Oh boy, Scarlett thought, watching Reid closely. She'd forgotten how she must appear to him…

"Stop, boy…" she said softly. "Step back, bring it back down, now," she warned him, her eyes pleading. "It's not as bad as it looks, I swear…"

Spencer made a small sound in the back of his throat and reached for her.

Scarlett backed away, widening her eyes at him. The guards were right behind her…

"I-I'm so sorry," he managed to squeak out on a strangled whisper. He should have been in her place…

"No," she kept her eyes locked on his. "No, Spence… Listen to me! I know what you are thinking and it never would have worked that way. Cyrus wouldn't have believed it, and would have killed us both…" she hissed.

"But..."

"Reid," she snapped at him tensely when he reached for her again. He dropped his hands immediately and watched her face.

"Stop. Pay attention. Look at who he is releasing," she ordered him to get his head back in the game.

Spencer bit his lips together tightly and frowned, but looked back towards the room. His scowled deepened as he noticed what she had pointed out.

"It's the ones who failed the loyalty test," he said, meeting her gaze again. He sucked in a breath, realizing what that meant...

"I'll get word to the team. Wait for a sign from outside to indicate what time the raid will come, in case I can't reach you myself…" he told her quietly.

As much as it killed him to do so, he moved away from her side, heading over towards Cyrus.

Benjamin looked over at Reid, noting he had been talking to Scarlett. Spencer covered it quickly.

"I told her she shouldn't have lied to you…" Spencer said.

"To either of us," Cyrus reminded him, using the words to try to create a bond between them. Reid nodded.

"Take her back…" Cyrus told the men. Spencer watched her leave the room, his heart breaking in his chest.

"Those of you that are standing, collect your belongings and report to the front hallway immediately," Cyrus announced.

Reid stood inside the office once again with Cyrus and his two men. Benjamin had called Rossi back, telling him that they were letting some of the residents leave.

"We will surrender tomorrow at noon," Cyrus told him. "I want the press to be there to insure we are treated fairly. We can discuss the details at our seven am call… I'll see you then, Dave."

"I'll look forward to it…"

"Oh and one other thing," Benjamin said. "Could you send some food in?"

"Sure, what would you like?" Dave asked.

"Fried chicken, all the fixins…" he said lightly.

"You got it," Rossi said, ending the call. He quickly picked up the headset to listen to what was now being said in the room.

"I don't understand," Christopher said. "Why did you let them all go?" he asked Cyrus.

"They weren't prepared to do what needs to be done," Reid answered.

Christopher turned on Spencer and screamed at him. "You're not one of us! You don't know what it takes to be prepared!"

Cyrus watched Spencer back away nervously from Christopher. "Listen to him…" he told his second.

"Tell him," he told Reid, wanting to see if Spencer really understood what was going to happen.

Spencer looked nervously between the two men.

"They, uh- They failed the test. They had their chance to prove their faith, when Cyrus told them that they'd sacrifice themselves for God. But instead they showed that they weren't worthy. That's why he wants the media around- to bear witness to your true final act of sacrifice…" Spencer told him, stressing the words for his team.

"Oh, is that so? And how do you know that?"

"I'm always looking for signs of things to come…" Reid said, praying the team picked up on his words.

Rossi understood.

"Reid is talking to us. He wants to know when we are coming- he's telling us this is it… Time has run out. We've got to go in!"

Dan had a local restaurant send in the requested meal. The teams were busy setting in more bugs and assembling the take out containers.

"Drugging the food is not an option, because there are still small children in there," Hotch told them. "We are going to have to go in…"

"Best time to hit them is when they are least mentally prepared…" Rossi stated.

"Three a.m.- the biorhythms are at their low point then…" Dan responded.

"We need a diversion, something that plays into their expectations…"

"Cyrus brought up Waco…" Dan said. "I know how to use that. We need to bring up Humvees…"

"The plan depends on Reid and Ryan separating the diehards from the followers," Hotch said.

"And delaying Cyrus's diehards from reacting to our assault," Morgan added.

"No, that's not my main concern-Reid and Scarlett know what they need to do…"

"So what is your concern?"

"Letting them know when we are coming," he stated. "The whole thing hinges on them being ready at three a.m."

"Come on guys, quick…" Dan was loading up the food boxes. "We've got to get the bugs in the boxes before the food gets too cold…"

Hotch picked up the lid to the take out containers. "Perfect," he said, grabbing a marker and starting to write 'Now open til 3am' on each lid. Morgan started on some of the Styrofoam containers.

Dan looked over at them. "Do you want my guys to start adding that?"

"No," Hotch told them. "Reid and Scarlett will know our handwriting. Ones they don't may be mistaken as not a message…"

"Okay."

"Let's just hope they see the containers to know it is our handwriting…" Morgan said, writing on two more.

Scarlett lay up in the bed on the second floor, becoming frustrated. She'd been angling her foot towards the blinds, opening them a bit with the heel of her shoe so her voice would be picked up by the parabolics that she knew had to be pointed at the windows. Problem was she didn't know if the team was aiming at her window.

She blew out a breath, stretching and tried again.

"If you can hear me, I know you're coming. I can try to get the women and children down to the tunnels, but I need to know when you are coming…"

She dropped back down from her arched position and sighed, scooting lower on the bed to get more of the blind open. With her hands still tied behind her, she pushed them into the bed, lifting herself up from her hips and shoving the blind up higher. She started repeating her mantra from the past hour over yet again.

"If you can hear me, I know you're coming. I can try to get the women and children down to the tunnels, but I need to know when you are coming…"

"If you can hear me, I know you're coming. I can try to get the women and children down to the tunnels, but I need to know when you are coming…"

Ugh! she dropped back down when she heard footsteps outside. When they passed, she tried again.

"If you can hear me… I know you are coming. I will try to get the women and children down into the tunnels, but I need to know when you are coming…"

Dan moved over to where Morgan was going over the maps.

"What's up?" he asked, seeing the look on the man's face.

"Ryan- it's Ryan… she's talking to us…" he told Derek, holding up the portable radio for him to hear.

Derek felt his heart jump in his chest at the sound of his sister's voice.

"If you can hear me, I know you're coming… I can try to get the women and children down to the tunnels, but I need to know when you are coming…"

"Let's go…" Morgan said, grabbing a laser sighted rifle and following Dan.